As part of our advocacy around the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USCMA) review, IATP has joined with 37 U.S. family farm, consumer, and worker organizations in a letter submitted on March 11 calling on the U.S. to remove the trade policy obstacles obstructing mandatory County of Origin Labeling (COOL) for meat.
The COOL program was eliminated in 2015 as a result of a dispute at the World Trade Organization (WTO). Canada brought a trade dispute over COOL for meat to the WTO in 2009, arguing that the rules discriminated against imports. After a series of decisions and appeals, a WTO dispute settlement panel ruled that some aspects of the program treated imported meat and cattle less favorably than U.S. production and that the rule’s record-keeping and verification requirements were overly burdensome. Given the vast expansion of data covering all aspects of our economy in recent years, the argument that record-keeping is too costly now seems disingenuous. The problem is not so much the cost of compliance as the trade rules that provide excuses not to comply.
In the letter, we call on the governments to use this opportunity to find a new solution, including:
“An annex on Transparency in Food Labeling to the USMCA Chapter on Technical Barriers to Trade in which the three countries agree not to bring challenges to COOL and related food labeling issues to the WTO, followed by ongoing negotiations to permanently carve out measures related to transparency in food labeling from trade disputes. We urge you to ensure that trade policy is no longer an impediment to market transparency and consumer choice.”
This would include not only the important issues involved in COOL for meat, but other potential trade conflicts over labeling. Ideally, a permanent carve-out of issues related to labeling would also pave the way for priorities in other countries, such as plans in Mexico around nutrition and GMO labeling. Greater transparency in food labels is one tool to disrupt corporate power over our food system. It’s not enough on its own, but it is a crucial step forward that is supported by both producers and consumers.
Read the full letter here.
